


Hideaway

by smallnspunky



Series: I Want Something Just Like This [2]
Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter/Funhaus RPF
Genre: Fake AH Crew, M/M, Multi, Ryan's first time dealing with dead bodies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-21
Updated: 2017-05-21
Packaged: 2018-11-03 07:29:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,570
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10962570
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/smallnspunky/pseuds/smallnspunky
Summary: Ray and Ryan have been told to bunker down in the safe house, with nothing but old movies to keep them occupied.





	Hideaway

Ryan had been in Los Santos for two weeks when Ray was arrested. It wasn’t for one of their heists though, it was for drug possession. He’d been in a holding cell for a week before Geoff finally approached the crew about it. 

“Drug possession?” Michael cackled as he fell on the couch, “Of all the fucking dumb shit we’ve done he’s finally arrested because of fucking drugs?”

Jack sighed, “I told him his weed habit was going to cause problems for him.”

“Well,” Michael said, wiping tears from his eyes, “Are we gonna break him out, or what?”

Geoff looked at Ryan, “You think you can bail him out?”

“Well, in this state, based on how much he had on him, it’s only a misdemeanor. It’s his first offense, right?” Jack nodded. “Then it’ll probably six months in jail and about a thousand dollar fine. But as long as he wasn’t selling it, especially to minors, it should be a pretty easy case. I can get him out before the end of the week.”

“Great!” Geoff smiled, “Do you need a new suit? Do you have a briefcase? You know what, just go shopping with Gavin and get whatever you need.”

He turned and left, Jack close behind him.

***

After Gavin and Ryan’s shopping spree, Geoff called him up into his office. 

“Ryan, none of us can come with you, we can’t have anyone else getting arrested. But I have complete and total faith in you.” Geoff smiled.

“That shouldn’t be a problem. Whatever happens I’ll make sure Ray makes it out soon enough.”

“That’s great, buddy. Here’s the deal: when Ray is a free man again, you’ll need to take him to this address,” Geoff slid a piece of paper across his desk. An address was hastily scrawled on it in horrible handwriting, “It’s one of our safe houses. The LSPD absolutely knows he’s part of the crew, but don’t have hard evidence yet, and I’d rather not have them know about this little base of operations yet. Just lay low for a day or two, heck you can drop Ray off and leave. They don’t know you’re part of the crew, they won’t tail you. Just make sure the coast is clear before you leave. Ray should know the drill.”

“Great, anything else?” Ryan said, taking the piece of paper and sliding it into his briefcase.

“Sweet briefcase, dude. Did Gavin pick that out?”

“Oh no,” Ryan laughed, “Gavin had this atrocious pea-green monstrosity he wanted to get for me. I only talked him out of it because it didn’t match the suit.”

Geoff laughed, “That sounds like Gavin alright. Anyway, you have a meeting with Ray and whoever else is involved with this whole bargaining thing in an hour. I expect a text from you when we’re out of this whole mess.”

“Yes sir.” Ryan stood, leaving the room. 

***

Two days later Ryan and Ray climbed into the car Geoff had left for them outside the station. As Ryan pulled away he noticed an unmarked police car pull into the street after them.

“Geoff was right, we’re being followed.”

“You know how to lose a tail, right?” Ray asked, pulling on his purple hoodie.

“Um,” Ryan paused, “I’ve never really had to before.”

Ray sighed heavily, “Just make lots of turns and find busy streets and pretend you’re in a spy movie. It always works for us. But, then again, I’m never the one driving.”

Ryan laughed, “That’s real comforting. I’m sure we’ll figure it out.”

Ryan followed his gut, weaving in and out of traffic, very safely and never breaking the law, taking the very scenic route to the safe house. He doubled back a few times, and before long Ray was dosing off in the passenger seat. It was dark by the time they reached the house a few miles outside the city.

Ryan went in with Ray, partly to make sure the younger man didn’t need anything, and partly because he wanted to see what a safe house for the most notorious gang in Los Santos really looked like. He was picturing a vault door, impenetrable walls, maybe even an armory.

He was disappointed, to put it lightly. It was nothing more than a dingy house, probably built in the 60’s and never updated.

Ray flopped on the couch, releasing a cloud of dust, and patted the spot next to him while turning on the TV. Ryan sat next to him, staring at the TV as Ray flipped through the channels, finally settling on some trashy reality show.

After about ten minutes of unbearable drama, Ryan stood up. 

“I should probably get back, Gavin and I have breakfast plans, and I want to get some sleep.”

“C’mon, man. If I have to hide out here you can at least stay with me for a bit,” Ray pulled Ryan back down onto the couch and turned the TV off. “Gavin will understand, and I promise I won’t smoke while you’re here.”

Ryan smiled, “I appreciate it.” Gavin would understand, he cared about Ray too, and he trusted Ryan. 

They sat in awkward silence.

Ryan’s mind was racing. Should he say something? Should he let Ray break the silence first? He hadn’t spent a lot of time around the other man, most of the time he had seen him recently had been in an interrogation room. Not much room for small talk.

“So,” Ray finally broke the silence, “Lawyer, huh. How did Gavin manage to snag a catch like you? Or really, how did someone as flamboyant as Gavin fall for a straight laced lawyer guy?”

Ryan chuckled, “Well, Gavin wasn’t always all gold and shiny and so, um, interesting. He used to be quiet, and awkward, and really like photography. Like, really really liked photography. I guess he gave that up now that he’s on to bigger and better things though.”

“Nah,” Ray smiled, “He still has a big dumb camera he carries around Geoff’s penthouse if we don’t have a job going on. He’s always taking pictures of us. I don’t know if they’re any good though, he never shows us.”

“If he’s as good as he was five years ago, they’re good pictures, I can promise you that.”  
Ray hummed, and they both fell back into silence. 

“Have you talked to Gavin much about what he’s been up to in the last five years?” Ray broke the silence again.

“Not much, he’s mostly had me talking about myself. Geoff’s also had him working quite a bit, so I haven’t actually spent much time with him.”

“What have you been doing then? I guess you’ll only have work those few times we actually get arrested like my dumb ass did.” Ray laughed.

“Michael’s been teaching me how to shoot.” 

Ray laughed more, “No fucking way. Michael Jones would never have the patience to teach someone. That’s way more of a Jack thing.”

“He’s a pretty good teacher. And he says I’m a quick learner, so that probably helps.” Ryan shrugged. “I’m a halfway decent shot now. I at least hit the target most of the time.”

Ray patted his leg, “Honestly, you’re probably already a better shot than Gavin is.”

Ryan laughed, very aware of Ray’s hand lingering on his thigh. 

“Anyway,” Ray stretched, “You wanna watch a movie or something? I think Geoff left some here. There might even be popcorn in the kitchen.”

Ryan made popcorn and grabbed a soda from the fridge while Ray picked out a movie. 

“Hey, Ryan, you like old movies? I guess Geoff does because nothing here was filmed after 1960.” Ray let out an exasperated sigh, “I haven’t even heard of most of these.”

He finally picked one and pushed into the VCR with a disgruntled “who even owns a fucking VCR these days.”

“What are we watching?” Ryan asked, passing the popcorn to Ray as he settled back onto the couch.

“Hell, I don’t know. I picked something at random.”

They fell into a comfortable silence as the soundtrack started and the title, _Dark Victory_ , appeared on the screen. 

“Oh, I’ve heard of this one,” Ryan whispered, “Ronald Reagan is in it.”

“No shit, like Mr. President Ronald Reagan? Hell yeah.”

About halfway through the movie, Ray leaned his head on Ryan’s shoulder. 

By the end of the movie he was gently snoring, curled up into Ryan’s side like a child. Rather than waking him, Ryan deftly maneuvered himself out from under the other man and laid Ray gently on the couch. He found some extra blankets and a pillow in a closet and gently placed them around Ray before taking a bed in one of the bedrooms. 

He sent a message to Gavin, half apology and half explanation, a message to Geoff, letting him know they made it to the safe house, and rolled over in the uncomfortable bed. As he drifted off to sleep he thought of Ray’s casual touches and missed Gavin’s warm body pressed up against him. 

***

Ray woke up on the couch early the next morning, he was briefly confused before remembering where he was. And who he was with. Ryan must have given him the blankets and pillow after he’d fallen asleep during the movie. He was a gentleman in addition to being handsome. 

_Why did I even ask him to stay? Just because he’s tall and handsome? He’s already way too smart for me._

Ray stretched, shuffling into the kitchen to find some breakfast.

_It’s not like he’s going to leave Gavin for me._

He opened the refrigerator and pulled out some eggs and orange juice, silently thanking Jack for stocking the safe house. If Geoff had been responsible there would have been a bunch of alcohol and maybe a frozen pizza.

_Maybe he wouldn’t have to leave Gavin._

As he scrambled his eggs, he mulled over the night before. There were some beers in the fridge, but Ryan had opted for a soda. What was it, Diet Coke? Not even a good soda. But hey, he’d finally have some solidarity in not drinking.

He poured a glass of orange juice, dumped his eggs into a bowl, and sat at the wobbly table. He ate slowly, scrolling through his phone, but not seeing what was on the screen.

He was thinking about Ryan.

Ray and Michael and Gavin had fooled around before, lots of times before, in the past few years. There were tons of nights where they got drunk and high and woke up the next morning tangled together in a too small bed. But it was never anything official, and even though Jack and Geoff knew about it they never talked about it so long as it didn’t get in the way of any work. Heck, sometimes they joined in on the fun. Besides, Ray was never the type to want to be in a serious relationship anyway, so why was he so hung up on Ryan?

He finished his breakfast, gave the dishes a quick rinse, and headed up to the bathroom to take a shower.

He pushed the door open, only to see shirtless Ryan bending over the sink.

“Oh, um, god, sorry.” Ray awkwardly backed out of the bathroom. Gosh, Ryan looked good. This was not helping.

“Hey, Ray, not a problem. I didn’t think you were up yet.” Ryan walked into the hall, drying his hair with a towel, “Did you already eat something?”

Ray nodded, “Yeah, Jack stocked the pantry, so you can make yourself some food.”

“Great. I got a text from Geoff, he wants us to lay low for a couple more days. So I guess we’re stuck here together for a little while longer.” Ryan smiled as he walked past Ray and down into the kitchen.

Ray was just getting into the shower when he heard a knock on the door. He heard Ryan’s footsteps heading to the door, he probably didn’t even think about who would be knocking at their safe house.

He ran out of the bathroom, completely naked, stopping Ryan dead in his tracks, one hand reaching for the doorknob.

Ray practically tackled Ryan, trying not to think about his bare chest, grabbed his hand and pulled him into the living room.

“Who the fuck do you think is knocking?” Ray hissed, “You can’t just answer the fucking door.”

Ryan’s eyes widened with understanding, and he silently pulled the blanket off the couch and wrapped it around Ray’s waist.

“You said Michael was teaching you how to shoot?” Ray tried to focus at the problem at hand instead of thinking about Ryan gently pulling the blanket around his hips. “You might have to test those skills. I’m gonna go grab some pants. See if you recognize who’s at the door. Wait for me before you do anything. Stay quiet and don’t let them see you.”

Ray silently ran to the bathroom, pulled on his jeans, and searched all the cabinets for any sort of weapon. There were usually guns stashed somewhere in their safehouses. After a quick search of the house he found a couple of glocks, nothing with serious fire power, but good enough.

He met Ryan in the kitchen, passed him a pistol as he whispered “Do you know them?”

Ryan shook his head, taking the gun with shaking hands.

“Ok, text Geoff, let him know the safe house is compromised. I’m going to need your help. You’re gonna open the door, stay behind it. I’ll talk to them. If things go south I’ll give you this cue,” Ray made a gesture with his hand, “And you’ll close the door. If they get inside I’ll hold them off, you run to the bedroom. Stay in the closet and kill them if you see them. Don’t hesitate.

“Are you gonna be alright dude? You’re looking real pale.” Ray grabbed Ryan’s free hand and gave it a squeeze, “It’s gonna be alright. I’ve got your back.”

Ryan nodded, squeezing Ray’s hand back, “I'm alright.”

Ray smiled, “Let’s do this.”

Ray moved to the hallway with Ryan close behind him, pushing his phone into his pocket. Ray hastily shoved his pistol into the back of his jeans as Ryan took his place by the door. They exchanged a smile, and at Ray’s nod Ryan pulled the door open.

Ray stared at the two men outside their door, “What do you want?”

They were wearing masks, never a good sign, one had a ponytail coming down around his shoulder. The other was wearing a heavy jacket: possibly hiding weapons. 

“You’re Brownman, right? Ramsey’s sniper? Are you here alone?” Ponytail guy asked, leaning against the door frame.

“That’s right. What’s it to you? Who are you?” Ray kept his eyes trained on the man, making sure he never glanced at Ryan. 

“We’re here to collect a debt. Your boss owes us some money.”

Ray shrugged, chuckling quietly, “He owes everyone money. What makes you special? And why don’t you talk to Geoff about it? It’s not like he’s hard to find, if you know who to ask.” Ray leaned against the wall, “Unless, you don’t know who to ask? That means you’re probably part of a small gang, just starting out. Which means you don’t matter to me.”

Jacket guy turned to face the other man, “We can take this kid, he’s scrawny! Doesn’t even have any scars on him, look at that!” The man gestured at Ray, waving up and down his body.

Ray raised an eyebrow. 

“You’re right. Not a scratch. You wanna know why?” He paused, pushing himself off the wall, “Because no one survives long enough to get a shot off at me.”

He could see the man's eyes widen behind his mask.

“Now,” Ray said, “If you’ll please tell me, who do you work for?”

***

Ryan was in awe of Ray. His transformation was so much like Gavin’s, but scarier. While Gavin turned the charm and personality way up, Ray turned it down. Gavin became a swindler, a lover, a best friend, and anything else you could ever want. Ray became a killer. His warm brown eyes turned cold, his usual loose movements became calculated and dangerous. While Gavin’s alter-ego was everything lovable and fun about the world, Ray was a predator in his loose jeans. It was incredible to watch. 

And really hot.

Ryan told himself it was just because his life was in danger and Ray his hope for surviving. That’s why he was feeling this way. It was because Ray was standing in the morning sunlight without a shirt on and was actually surprisingly muscular. He wasn’t in love with Ray. He was feeling this way because minutes earlier he’d seen Ray completely naked. He was in love with Gavin, not Ray.

He followed the conversation closely, storing away any information that could be useful for later. He didn’t know exactly what would be useful, as he was very new to this line of work, but was sure Ray would remember the important things.

“You don’t scare us kid,” The first man said, “Besides, you’re here alone. You’re outnumbered.”

Ray let out a low laugh, more menacing than friendly, “Oh, I’m not alone.”

Ryan went tense behind the door. Ray wasn’t expecting him to fight, right? There was no way he could be any use at all. 

“You see, we were sent here because Geoff wanted me to test the skills of a new hire before he officially joined the crew. Now, I’ve seen this guy’s skills and let me tell you, he’s a force to be reckoned with. He goes by the name Vagabond.”

Ryan recognized the name as his XBOX gamertag. Ray was definitely talking about him. He was not ready for this.

“But you have to know, he’s in the house somewhere. You’ll never even see him before he kills you.”

Ryan may have been able to wear the persona, he was a lawyer after all. He knew how to be calm and confident under pressure. But there was no way he’d be able to actually kill them. 

What the hell was Ray planning?

***

Ray had half a plan and a whole lot of trust that Ryan wouldn’t do anything dumb. Two shirtless idiots against gang members with a grudge. Things weren’t looking great. God, he just wanted to blast these two guys and be done with it, but Geoff would kill him. They needed to know who they were, who they worked for, and how they found the safe house. There was no point in killing them unless he absolutely had to.

“Now,” he continued, “I really need to know who you are, and who you work for, otherwise I’m gonna have to force you to tell me.”

Ponytail let out a laugh, “For the last time, you don’t scare us. Call your boss and tell him to give us the money or we’ll take you as collateral until Ramsey pays up.”

Ray groaned internally, pulled his gun out, and shot Jacket guy in the leg.

“Now look what’s happened. You should really learn to listen to me.”

Jacket guy was groaning, rolling on the ground, holding his leg. The bullet had gone clean through, he’d be fine. 

Ray trained his gun on Ponytail’s face, smiling, “Last chance to tell me who you are.”

“Fuck that,” Ponytail pulled out his own pistol, but before he could raise it Ryan slammed the door closed. 

Ray, half relieved and half in panic, rushed to the door, locking the deadbolt just as the other men started pounding on it.

“Did Geoff say anything?”

Ryan shook his head, pulling out his phone, “Not yet.”

“Ok, we need somewhere safe to bunker down until we can call in backup or take these guys out or something.” 

Ryan nodded, “The bathroom? No windows, and we can hide in the bathtub.”

Ray broke into a smile, “Great idea. You’re pretty smart.”

Ryan laughed quietly, “I didn’t get a law degree for nothing.”

***

Ray and Ryan were locked in the dark bathroom, sitting in the bathtub together. Ray was in the tub itself, leaning up against the wall with his legs stretched out while Ryan perched on the side.

“So Ray,” Ryan started, unsure of what he wanted to ask first, “Have you really never been shot?”

Ray laughed, “Oh no, I’ve been shot a few times, always in the legs for some reason, but I definitely don’t like it and avoid it as much as possible. I actually am not in the line of fire very often. Geoff usually gives me a sniper and puts me on a roof somewhere out of sight and out of reach. You see, Ryan, I am the best shot in the city, and Geoff likes having the best shot in the city watching over him and the crew.”

Ryan laughed, “You’re really that good?”

“Hell yeah I am! Geoff doesn’t hire just anyone.”

They both laughed quietly, for a small moment forgetting the men trying to break into the house. 

“Gavin must have really talked me up for Geoff to think I’m that good.”

Ray smiled, “Or you were the only semi-respectable lawyer who’d defend a bunch of criminals, and the only man who could hold down an actual relationship with Gavin. Both of which are noteworthy feats.”

They laughed again, but were interrupted by a crash, presumably the men breaking into the house.

“Shit, that sounded like the kitchen window. Here,” Ray pulled himself out of the tub, “Switch me spots. Stay low, I’ll take care of them.”

Ryan slipped into the bathtub and Ray stood over him, straddling him as he took his gun out again. 

The shower curtain was, thankfully, a very thick material, and very dark. Ryan could just see the door through the space between the curtain and the wall. 

Before too long they heard footsteps outside the bathroom. Ryan heard the doorknob jiggle followed by quiet voices on the other side of the door. He looked up at Ray, hoping for comfort or reassurance or something, but Ray was focused on the door.

There was pounding on the door, possibly kicking, and creaking wood. Ryan could tell the door wouldn’t last long. Soon enough the door would break and they would come in and… and what? Ray would kill them?

Ryan knew that Ray killed people, that was literally his job, but it was hard for him to picture the man who’d fallen asleep on the couch, curled up into his side, as a murderer. 

The door crashed down and Ray fired. Four shots and it was all over.

“Ray?” Ryan gently touched the other man’s leg.

Ray stepped out of the tub, “Stay down, I’ll make sure they’re dead.”

Ryan, against his better judgment, sat up, looking over at the bodies on the floor. Ray flipped the lights on and Ryan was startled at the amount of blood on the floor. Almost immediately he started gagging. He was surprised at his own reaction, he’d seen plenty of pictures of dead bodies and far worse from different case studies in class, his emphasis was criminal law after all, so why was he suddenly having this reaction?

Ray was immediately at his side, “Hey, deep breaths, lean forward, put your head between your knees.” Ray was rubbing Ryan’s back, “Keep breathing, c’mon, there you go.”

Ryan felt his breathing slow down and the gagging stop. He was lucky he hadn’t actually eaten any breakfast or it would have come right back up. 

“There you go,” Ray kept murmuring, still rubbing his back. It was calming, feeling the younger man’s presence so close.

“I’m ok,” Ryan managed to say, “Are they dead?”

Ray stood up, “Yup. It’s been awhile since I’ve been in a close quarters fight, so I’m glad this went down so smoothly.” He kicked at one of the men, “It really was because of your good idea about using the bathroom that things went the way they did.”

Ryan smiled weakly up at Ray, “I do what I can.”

Ray laughed for a moment, “I’ll probably need your help moving the bodies. Are you going to be all right doing that?”

Ryan nodded, getting to his feet.

“I can handle it.”

***

They spent the day on the couch watching the rest of the old movies. Geoff had finally texted back, and Ryan assured him everything was ok. Geoff was sending Jack down first thing the next morning to take care of things, and Ray and Ryan would head back into Los Santos. 

The credits for _A Streetcar Named Desire_ started rolling and Ryan turned the TV off. The sun had long since gone down, and they had run out of movies to watch. At some point Ray had, again, snuggled into Ryan’s side, and as the room fell silent he sat up. Ryan wished he hadn’t, he felt empty without Ray pressed up against him.

“Ray,” Ryan said quietly, “What were you saying, earlier, with the Vagabond thing?”

Ray laughed, mostly to himself, “I was honestly just trying to buy time. I’m not as good of a liar as Gavin is, but I feel like I did a halfway decent job. I thought your gamertag was cool, so I rolled with it.”

Ryan smiled, Ray really hadn’t expected anything great out of him, which was a relief. 

“The real question,” Ray leaned towards Ryan as he spoke, “is how you’re handling seeing dead bodies for the first time.”

Ryan tried to smile, but it got caught somewhere along the way. Before he could stop it tears were welling up in his eyes and sobs started deep in his throat. He’d purposely avoided thinking about the events of the morning all day. He’d kept his thoughts occupied with seeing Gavin again and spending the day with Ray. 

Again, Ray was at his side. Ray pulled Ryan into his chest, as best he could, and stroked his hair. “It’ll be alright, just let it all out.” He paused, making little humming noises as he continued to rub Ryan’s hair and down onto his back, “The first one is the hardest.”

“Ray,” Ryan sniffled as his sobs died down, “Don’t let me go.”

***

Ray’s heart lept and seized up as Ryan spoke. What did that mean? Did Ryan mean what Ray had hoped since Ryan first walked into that holding cell?

Ray was a little defeated at the time, getting fucking busted on weed possession after all the shit he’s done. But whatever. They had their fancy new lawyer now, he’d be out in no time.

Ray hadn’t spent much time with the older man, instead choosing to hang out with Michael or dick around playing video games. The few times he had been with Ryan was all spent playing games. Ryan was decent, better than Gavin anyway, and he had similar tastes to the lads. It was fun times, but he didn’t really get to know Ryan.

And then he shows up, looking like a model in his gray suit and fancy briefcase and perfect hair. It was incredible to see the difference between video game Ryan and lawyer Ryan. He was poised, professional, and assertive. So unlike the flubbing Ryan who got frustrated during Mario Party. 

Ray was actually smitten within the first hour. It was just luck that he convinced Ryan to stay the night.

Or was it?

Could it be that Ryan felt the same way about him?

Ray continued rubbing Ryan’s back, gently rocking him back and forth. “Ryan, I’m never going to leave you. Don’t worry. We’re the R&R connection. For life.”

Ryan pulled away slightly and looked up at Ray, his blue eyes swimming with tears. 

Ray, possessed by who knows what, leaned forward and kissed him.

It was brief, and gentle, and Ray loved every moment of it. He leaned his forehead against Ryan’s and wiped at his tears with his thumbs. He gently laughed, “Who else would just accept me running naked through the house while two armed men are waiting outside the door.”

Ryan laughed and pulled away from Ray, “Ray, I don’t know... “ He faltered, understandably.

“I know.” Ray sat back, looking at Ryan’s tear stained face from the opposite end of the couch, “You should call Gavin. I really don’t want to ruin your relationship, like at all. I couldn’t do that to Gavin, he’s my best friend. I’ll probably just sleep out here again, the couch is honestly a hell of a lot more comfortable than those awful beds,” He paused, “I’ll see you in the morning.”

Ryan smiled gently and squeezed Ray’s hand as he stood up.

“Sleep well, Ray. Thanks for everything.”

***

Ryan sat heavily on his bed, his mind muddled with thoughts of Ray and Gavin. He was in love with Gavin, he had been for years, but he also cared for Ray. But he’d only known Ray for a few weeks, and really gotten to know him in the last three days. 

_Is it even possible to fall in love in three days?_

He began getting undressed, needing to sort out his thoughts before he called Gavin. He realized 4 things: He loved Gavin, he also possibly loved Ray, he had no idea if Gavin had dated anyone while they were apart (possibly even Ray? More likely it was Michael, if he had to pick), and he had no idea what Gavin would say when he called.

He sat again on the bed and picked up his phone. He hovered over Gavin’s name and, with a deep breath, quickly hit the call button, and waited.

It rang once before Gavin picked up.

“Rye-bread? Are you alright? Geoff told me what happened! I was so worried, but I figured you needed your space and some time to deal. I hoped you would call.”

Ryan smiled, it was nice to hear the other man’s voice.

“Yes, I’m fine. Ray took care of it all. I appreciate that you gave me some time. You are the best, Gavin.”

“Oh good. How are you getting on with Ray? You two never really spent much time together before now.”

“Ray is fine, we…” Ryan took a deep breath, “We need to talk, Gav.”

He heard Gavin’s sharp inhale from the other end, “What about?”

“Gavin, did you ever,” Ryan paused, searching for the right words, “date other people after you left?”

“Not exactly, Ryan. What’s this about?”

“What do you mean, ‘Not exactly’? Was it anyone in the crew?”

“Well, I mean, Ray and Michael and I would hook up fairly regularly, but never made anything official. Like, Geoff and Jack knew about it, they’re practically married themselves, so it wasn’t a big deal or anything.”

“Gavin, did you ever think you might be in love with them?”

“Why? Did Ray say something?”

Ryan could hear Gavin’s nerves through the phone.

“Not exactly. More like, did something.”

Gavin unexpectedly started laughing, “Did the idiot kiss you? I can’t believe him. I leave him alone with my boyfriend for a few days and he falls in love with you. Not like I can blame him, you are gorgeous, and a gentleman, but I didn’t think he’d do anything. God, I don’t blame you Ryan, it’s not a big deal.”

Ryan could hear him smiling through the phone.

“Unless,” Gavin started again, “You like him too? Oh! That’s what this is all about, you’re probably worried about me being upset, and probably all sorts of confused about your emotions, aren’t you Rye-bread?”

Ryan was relieved at Gavin’s understanding, but still confused, “Yes, I am pretty emotional right now.”

Gavin gasped, “You probably had to deal with the bodies too! Oh my god, your first time and I wasn’t even there to comfort you. And Ray is a cutie, so I definitely can’t blame you for falling for him. He probably was a gentleman and everything. Did he smoke at all this week?”

“No.”

“Oh, he really _was_ trying to impress you. Well, Ryan, if you love him, go for it. I was going to ease you into it, but you should know that practically everyone in this crew has slept with each other. Jack and Geoff had been the only ‘real’ relationship until you joined us, but if you want to bring Ray into our little love fest I’m all for it. I love him, and I love you.”

Ryan felt relieved, although still slightly confused. How could they all sleep around with each other and not let their emotions get in the way of work? Whatever it was they did, it worked, and Ryan wasn’t going to question it. 

He said goodnight to Gavin, holding his phone close as he drifted off to sleep.

***

Ryan woke the next morning with an arm wrapped around his waist. Without thinking he rolled over and kissed the other man’s forehead. He was surprised when he realized it wasn’t Gavin, but Ray. His heart fluttered in panic before he remembered his conversation with Gavin the night before. 

Ray mumbled something about a text from Gavin before nuzzling into Ryan’s chest.

Ryan smiled, wrapping his arms around Ray before drifting off to sleep again. His life in Los Santos was getting better, and weirder, by the week, but he wouldn’t have it any other way.

**Author's Note:**

> This one takes inspiration from Roses by The Chainsmokers. Because how can that song not be about Ray, honestly.


End file.
